Tieks Review | Adults vs. Kids Sizing

Several years ago, I discovered the brand Tieks. My now husband gifted me with my very first pair, in the matte cardinal red, and I fell in love. Since then, I’ve added other pairs to my collection, including a matte black pair in kids size. Today, I wanted to do a Tieks review: adults vs. kids.

Tieks are a brand of ballet flats made of Italian leather, and are designed to be so flexible, you can fold them in half and put them in your purse for an easy shoe change. The majority of their selection are only available in adult sizes, with the smallest size being size 5. Currently, they offer 3 colors in kids size, ranging from size 7 to 2. For reference, I am a small women’s size 4, and a kid’s size 2.

My Cardinal Red Tieks

My cardinal red Tieks are in adult size 5. Since they are elasticated, they did not slip off my feet, but visually you could tell my feet weren’t filling out the shoe. I decided to put full length liners in them. Not only do the liners help the shoes look more well fitted on my feet, but they also add a nice layer of cushioning. Fit-wise, I could probably get away with no liners, but I quite like the feeling of the extra cushioning.

Over time, the leather on my red Tieks have aged beautifully. The leather has never rubbed my feet, and the shoes did not require any breaking in. Even after several years of heavy wear, the leather is barely scuffed.

My Mini Matte Black Tieks

I loved my cardinal red Tieks so much that I thought it would be a good idea to invest in a staple black pair. Since I use liners with the adult size 5, I also thought it would be a good idea to try a kid’s size 2. Verdict: thumbs down!

The kids Tieks were shockingly uncomfortable! While the adult Tieks did not require any breaking in, the kids Tieks seem impossible to break in. I’ve worn these for several 9 hour shifts on my feet (which are no problem in my red flats), and by the end of the day, my toes are painfully squished and my ankles rubbed. After several attempts to break them in, the flats don’t feel any different from when I started.

Oddly, in the side-by-side comparison, the kid’s size doesn’t look that much smaller than the adult size. However, once on, there is a significant difference between the two.

In conclusion…

If you’re like me and can fit into both adult and kids sizes, you might be debating the kids size in order to save $40-$55. Unless you are smaller than a size 2 in kids size, I would recommend going with the adult size. If you’re smaller than a size 2 and want to try the kids size, I would suggest sizing up a whole size (they are not available in half sizes). I hope you found this Tieks review of adults vs. kids sizing helpful!

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Thanks for reading!